I, Arthur
by Amhi
Summary: Arthur has always preferred the sea, but is forced to abandon his ship to the more pressing manners of politics. With everyone crying for the Queen Elizabeth to marry, he is forced to sail abroad to find the perfect candidate. But it is during his visit to France that he finds a special character who throws his life upside-down.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.**

Yay for new stories! Hopefully this one engages you and takes you for an adventure, my fellow readers. This is set during the Elizabethian time period, so I've tried to make it as accurate as possible. And yes, all the characters besides Arthur were real people.

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_The Royal Court was no match for Arthur Kirkland, Duke of Bedford. They held no love for one another; the Court with all of its gilded grandeur, flittering ladies and pompous dukes and lords and barons did not agree with him. For all of the rich wealth it boasted, the hall was stuffy, stiflingly hot, and crowded. Arthur envied the ladies who waved their jewel-encrusted fans in their faces softly. At least they got some sort of relief from summer's burning clutches. _

_For all it was worth, Arthur Kirkland, Duke of Bedford, would rather have been out at sea. He spent all the days he could out on the shimmering blue; his love was the sea, his fearful woman whom only he could control and navigate and make her succumb to his wills. But not today, for His Majesty the King Henry VIII had invited him (ordered him, to be precise) to yet another wedding of his; Arthur could only wonder who the unlucky wretch was this time. If he remembered correctly, this woman would be his sixth wife, and hopefully his last. The King blazed through all of his wives, executing two of them and divorcing the other three. _

_Arthur was disgusted by how easily his King broke one of God's most sacred commitments, but he always had to remind himself _no, no, no, these are traitorous thoughts to His Majesty the King_. _

_This new wife his King was taking was a Catherine Parr, who was rumored to be one of England's most married queens. Arthur had snorted at the whispers: _they were a perfect match in their marriage records, at least.

_The ceremony itself went by fairly quickly compared to the eight-hour feast that came right after. Arthur wasn't inclined to sit and gorge himself silly, but his status and rank demanded that he take a seat near the newlyweds and pick at the mountain of food on his plate that was growing at an alarming rate. He did help himself to the jellied pork and roasted peacock; these he rarely got to see from all the time spent at sea. _

_As he chewed upon the English delicacies, Arthur noticed two children sitting at the top table with the King: the royal Prince Edward and Princess Elizabeth; Princess Mary was nowhere to be seen. He marveled at how they had grown. They had but been babes when he last saw them, and he took notice of their table mannerisms. _

_Princess Elizabeth, named after her grandmothers Elizabeth of York and Elizabeth Howard, was surprisingly mature for her ten years. Her red-gold hair was hidden underneath a veil decorated with rubies and emeralds the size of Arthur's thumbnail, and she ate delicately, occasionally sharing childish delights with her brother, Edward. _

_Arthur couldn't help but feel some kind of gravitational pull towards her, as if she were some important child, but he laughed at the thought: no female could ever be the successor to the throne. Even the lowliest peasant knew that. He remembered when Elizabeth had been born, how His Majesty King Henry VIII roared at the Master Ambassador Chapuys when he had bravely (others would say foolishly) suggested that "_God has shown that that the succession to the throne of England will come down in the female line."

_The fool. Chapuys was lucky to have kept his head upon his shoulders, for such an idea was _unthinkable!

_So it was. As the years progressed, His Majesty King Henry VIII passed away, leaving his son Edward to be crowned King; and he, too, soon passed away at the tender age of fifteen, leaving a civil war in his passing. _

_Arthur, having been out romping with his love the sea, heard only bits and pieces of news that came from London. After King Edward's death, a proclamation abounded throughout the land that bastardized Mary and Elizabeth, effectively barring them from the throne. Their cousin, Lady Jane, was pronounced Queen, but quickly fell from power after only nine days. Then was Mary dubbed Queen, who used her power to burn all those unfaithful to her religion, earning her the name 'Bloody Mary.'_

_If it wasn't so threatening to his position, Arthur would've scoffed and scorned them all._

_Then came the time when, after all the plots to kill Elizabeth and restore Mary to power, Elizabeth was named Queen of England. _

_Arthur was forced to eat his words, but he still doubted that a female ruler would _ever _bring peace to war torn England: just look at the other two before Elizabeth. _

_But he was summoned to Court yet again, and so Arthur packed up and sailed back home, bade farewell to his sailing days (as well as his secret pirate adventures) and his wife the sea, and charted his course to London._

.

The Council was something Arthur had hoped to avoid, but his recent promotion to one of Her Majesty the Queen's chief advisors bade him to attend every meeting.

Every. Single. Damned. Meeting.

His nerves were frayed already, being unable to sail the Seven Seas, but the constant yelling and shouting and debating of all the royal men appointed to the Council wore him down even more! This time, the subject was whether or not Mary, Queen of Scots, should be allowed safe passage through England on her journey to Spain.

"The whore can just go around us!" Burghley cried, his mustache quivering in rage. "Who does she think she is?! If Your Majesty allows her to pass, Mary's supporters will only see it as proof of her rightful place!"

"Hear!" and "Yea!" were shouted.

"I hear the Queen of Scots is also with child by Lord Darnley!"

"Yes, yes 'tis true!"

And again, the subject was turned back to the Queen's refusal to marry.

"We need a son! A prince!"

"An heir, we need an heir now!"

Arthur wanted to slam his head on the table and drown their annoying voices. They screeched in vain efforts to be heard, and Arthur was just about to break down and yell at them all when-

"**QUIET DOWN!" **

Everyone flinched and stared at the Queen Elizabeth sitting above them on a dais at the head of the table. They had never heard her rise her voice; well, not at _them, _at least. He snickered behind a hand. What fools. Pig brains, all of them.

Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth gazed down at them, quiet and contemplative, brown eyes cool and assessing. "Because Mary Queen of Scots is my cousin, I cannot simply deny her request. But I do not wish to go to war with the Scots, those barbarians." She gazed at Arthur, brows furrowing in thought.

"If I might speak, Your Grace, the people of England would never stand for it." The Chief Secretary William Cecil added in quietly, bobbing his head as he scribbled on his parchment. "Mary's Papist supporters are outnumbered and largely unpopular, but they are very influential people, my Queen. You must know about the only reason you are ruling – with all due respect, of course."

Everyone heard the unspoken: _It is only with the people's consent that you are holding your place as Queen._

Arthur liked Cecil. The old man didn't favor anyone, and didn't seek anyone's favor: it was ironic that it was for this trait he was favored by the Queen. Arthur secretly thought that so far, much of the Queen's success she owed to William Cecil; he was proving to be a very effective Chief Secretary indeed.

"Your Majesty?" Robert Dudley First Earl of Leicester spoke, standing to make himself seen. Glares and pointed glances were sent towards the Earl, who either ignored them or took no notice of them. Arthur knew why: it was rumored that Robert Dudley and the Queen had a fiery affair going on, which seemed to be truer and truer every day the Queen lavished her favor unto him through royal titles, estates, and even, some whispered, her cherished virginity.

"Yes, yes, speak, my Earl." Queen Elizabeth waved her hand impatiently; Arthur saw a faint tinge of a blush blossom on Her Majesty's cheeks, but he shook it off. Who was he to question royalty, with their strange ways and confusing speech?

"Should we not capture the Queen of Scots, Your Grace? The lady assumes and asks too much of our England."

Reluctant murmurs of agreement broke out. "He is right, my Queen!" Broke in Sir Walsingham the Spymaster. "That Mary has tried multiple times to plot the demise of Your Majesty! It would not fit us if she was allowed to parade in our streets raising followers left and right!"

More people screamed their agreement. And Arthur pretended to listen until the meeting was finally, after four long hours, called to an end.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry the first two chapters are boring, but it was needed to get the story up and running (if anyone is taking the time to read it). I'm going to stick to Modern English instead of Ye Olde English, it was torture trying to write it accurately.

And never fear, my friends, certain European representatives will arriving soon!

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The only good thing about being at Court, Arthur saw now, was the ability to go riding whenever it struck his fancy; provided, of course, that it didn't coincide with the falling of night. Evening's dark skies were supposed to bring about deadly vapors in the world, which Arthur knew to be entirely false; his days out at sea backed him up on that theory. But whenever he argued the point against the simple stable boys, they refused to step foot in the dark with all their hearts.

But they didn't mind going outside at the crack of dawn, so Arthur had taken to waking up earlier than the rest of the castle to ride the whole day away. This particular day, however, saw Her Majesty and the Earl of Leicester joining Arthur, and with them their escorts, which swelled the party of three to a party of at least sixteen.

Arthur cursed under his breath; he'd hoped to steal away on his own and ride to his enjoyment. Now he'd be laden down with all of these damned slowpokes and would probably be obliged to make meaningless small talk with those haughty nobles. But he swallowed his disappointment and waved to the growing mass. "My Queen! A good day to ride, isn't it?" If she answered, he couldn't hear; the rhythmical stomping of horses' hooves drowned her out.

But then she spurred her horse on faster, breaking free from the human mass, and rode quickly towards him. Arthur hurriedly broke into a gallop to meet her; it was all too improper for him not to, although the Queen wasn't supposed to ride _to _him in the first place. "So I see you fancy riding as well, Kirkland?" She inquired casually as she pulled her mare by his side.

Arthur was taken aback by two things: her lack of formality, and that she had left her love Robert Dudley scrambling to catch up with her. _What could this mean? _He decided not to pry. If it concerned him, then she'd tell him soon enough. Court gossip always flowed easily toward Arthur. "It is one of the many things I'd indulge in more if I could, Your Grace." He answered politely, careful to keep any questioning tones out of his voice.

Queen Elizabeth nodded curtly, and urged her horse to a full gallop. Arthur immediately followed suit, her escorts falling further and further behind until they seemed like little pinpricks in the distance. Whether they rode for minutes or hours, Arthur loved the wind in his hair and the horses pounding the earth below. He loved feeling their hoof beats resonate in his body, the feeling that he was practically flying. But all too soon, the Queen pulled in, her horse neighing and nickering, sides heaving heavily, and Arthur followed suit, wondering why she had run off so far from her attendants.

"This is a manner I wish to discuss in private," Queen Elizabeth slid off her horse gently, holding the reins, "where there are no eyes or ears to spy upon us."

_No eyes or ears? _Surely there weren't any spies or espionage the Queen was worried about in her own _Court? Of what significance is this manner? _"Your Majesty, if you may tell how this concerns me?" Arthur vaulted off his saddle and guided his horse under a tree, trying to think of exactly what _kinds _of situations would call for him, Arthur Kirkland: Duke of Bedford, Council chairman, representative of England, and the secret Dread Pirate Roberts.

"You know how much the Council is baying for me to marry and produce an heir." She sighed, looking up into the sky at a hawk preying upon a pigeon. "If I was born a man…" The hawk pulled back its wings and dove straight toward the pigeon frighteningly quickly, only to flap its wings open again and caw at the poor bird. Arthur realized the hawk was toying with the pigeon. _Is that how Her Majesty feels? _But where did Arthur come into her dilemma? He wasn't pushing her to find a husband, but he wasn't exactly backing her up in her staying unmarried, either. _If she was born a man, she wouldn't have this problem. Bloody hell, she'd probably have turned out like her father, King Henry VIII._

But what he should say or do to console her, he had no idea. Arthur decided to go with brute honesty; Her Majesty needed truth now, not empty words. "If I might be frank, my Queen Elizabeth, if you were born a man, you would most likely not even be the same person. I mean no offense, but recall how your dear brother King Edward turned out in the end. You are the first Queen ever in the history of England, and you should not give up that title. If I was in your shoes, I'd rather not marry."

Queen Elizabeth glanced sideways at him, guiding her horse under the shade with him. Her white mare nickered and grazed quietly alongside Arthur's steed. "My Duke of Bedford, if you would look up into the sky and gaze upon the birds, how would you describe the happenings?"

Arthur turned his gaze back to the hawk and pigeon still playing cat and mouse. The pigeon was tiring quickly, however, and the hawk saw its chance. It nosedived again and plucked the pigeon out of the air. "A matter of survival to the pigeon, a game to the hawk." He stated plainly. _Is there to be some message she is trying to send me in the form of winged creatures?_

"That's true. Look again, Kirkland."

Arthur obeyed, and was surprised to see the pigeon fighting back, pecking at the hawk desperately. The hawk shrieked in frustration, and practically threw the pigeon out of its talons. The pigeon cooed pathetically, flapping away to a nearby treetop to nurse its wounds, the hawk flying away in search of easier prey. "Ah, I would, uh…" He cleared his throat; it was unseemly to stutter in front of the monarchy! "The pigeon got away," he finished lamely.

"Yes! That pigeon is me, Kirkland!" She squealed, suddenly turning into a little girl. "I am like that pigeon, and the hawk is like the Council, nay, everyone in Mother England! I shall break free from their hold one way or another." Her optimism was practically radiating off of her. "What you said earlier, that is true. I am fated, destined for something greater than a mere object for men to win. I am the first Queen, and as such, I should be memorable, _godly."_

"Then should you not simply just tell the Council you do not wish to marry, and be done with it?" Arthur never really had a knack for politics; it was far too complicated and too full of loopholes.

"No Arthur, I can't just out with it! You need tact, a presentation of sorts. But they won't just accept it like that, oh no. The Council seems to think that I have put no effort in finding a suitor-"

"But you haven't." Arthur interrupted, only to be met with glare from Her Majesty. He coughed apologetically.

"That's where you come in. I want you to sail the globe under the pretense that you are trying to find me _'the one.'" _

_I thought Robert Dudley was the one, _Arthur thought, but then realized that politics would never allow such a union, whether the love was true or not. He opened his mouth to speak, but was shushed by the Queen. She looked to her left, and there a mass of attendants and nobles grew, riding hard to join them again. "I would say that small run took them awhile, now didn't it?" She commented dryly, motioning for him to help her mount her mare.

They both took off to meet up with the vast host once again, Arthur feeling the hot gaze of the Queen's beloved burn into his head. He paid the man no attention, turning his thoughts over the assignment Her Majesty the Queen gave him, if indeed that was what it was. _No matter, _he pondered contentedly, absentmindedly making small talk and giving comments where it was appropriate. _I shall soon set sail on those wonderful seas soon enough. _

Arthur only hoped that he was able to be his own captain.


End file.
